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2004 Jeep Wrangler Owner Comments (Page 3 of 3)

Wrangler

74,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

What seems to be a very common problem with the Jeep Wrangler model line is a problem known throughout the community as the "death wobble." I purchased a used Jeep Wrangler rubicon almost two years ago, and have been experiencing this problem ever since. My Jeep, along with many others like it, has absolutely no aftermarket modifications, yet has a very dangerous symptom which makes me scared to drive it over 40 mph. The "death wobble" can only be described as an incredibly violent shake of the steering wheel from left to right after going over a bump or imperfection in the road. It will usually start off slowly, but within half a second the entire front end of the car is shaking out of control, and only stops when the vehicle is brought to a stop. With the steering wheel shaking violently, it is very difficult to maintain directional control of the vehicle, which at highway speeds can be very dangerous. Also, since the only way to stop this problem is to slow down rapidly, this creates a very hazardous traffic situation. This problem has been well documented throughout the history of the Jeep Wrangler, and Chrysler has only issued a temporary solution to replace the steering stabilizer. I have done this twice now, and it is only a band-aid to mask the underlying problem, which Jeep refuses to issue a recall or pay the bill to fix. I am literally scared to drive my vehicle on any highway, and I am sure thousands of other Jeep Wrangler owners out there are in the exact same position I am in.

Wrangler

15,000 miles

The problem is violent front end vibration when vehicle is operated between 45mph-55mph. The vibration is so intense it causes the steering wheel and front end to vibrate violently. This problem has occurred numerous times over 5 years of operation and especially after tire changes. I have had 2 different sets of tires on this Jeep which were balanced and have continued to have this problem. In the past I overcame this problem by rotating the tires until I found the tire orientation that gave the least amount of violent vibration I had thought that I may have had a hairline fracture on one of the rims but after installing new rims and the third set of tires the problem is back and as bad as ever. Out of frustration I turned to the internet to find out if their are any other Jeep Wrangler owners experiencing this problem. To my surprise after reading several internet forums on Jeep Wrangler many do. This problem even has a name the Jeep community has given it the "death wobble" ! the problem seems to occur in the 96-06 tj body style which includes the sahara, X and sport editions. There are numerous possible causes and repairs that people have come up with but it seems as no one has pinpointed the correct repair. The recommended repairs suggest the traction bar and steering stabilizer are at fault but people have had mixed results replacing these parts. It appears to me that the people at Jeep must know about this problem but have failed their customers at remedying this hazardous problem.

Wrangler

miles

2004 Jeep Wrangler with a violent vibration. Customer states that the vibration and shaking began when she went over some uneven pavement on the highway. Mechanic determined that the track bar and steering damper need to be replaced.

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

Automatic transmission

36,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle hits a bump while driving and shimmied almost to the point of having to stop vehicle. This was on a Jeep sahara 2004 model with 40,000 miles.I had wheels balanced over and over again since January.

Wrangler

miles

Vehicle goes into a violent shake (shimmy, vibe, wobble) when there is any change in roadway condition (bump, lip, hole, uneven roadway). My Jeep has not been altered in anyway. I have had the tires rotated and balanced. In addition my seat belt on the drivers side and front passenger belt both catch in the door - they do not retract. This has been an ongoing problem for 5 months.

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

Manual transmission

25,000 miles

Vehicle will enter into a violent wobble and shake when hitting a bump at highway speed. Violent shaking does not stop until speed is reduced to under 20 mph. Had wheels rotated and balanced, wheels aligned. Checked all tie rods, ball joints, and linkage with no noticeable wear. Death wobble still present.

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

Manual transmission

5,000 miles

First off you need to do a google search for 'death wobble'. I am not the only one with this problem. It is getting worse and I am afraid for my wife to drive the Jeep. "death wobble".. the death wobble is basically when you are driving your Jeep down the road and the front end starts to shake violently. It can happen at virtually any speed, though mostly above 40 mph or so, and is a frightening experience, especially for those witnessing it for the first time. The only way to stop it is to slow down and pull over. It seems to get more and more out of control. Our Jeep is a 2004 Wrangler with only 17,000 miles. We have had the problem since 5,000 miles or so. Jeep needs to address this problem.

Wrangler 4WD 6-cyl

Manual transmission

10 miles

Just started with power loss from show room floor, cam replaced lifters replaced breaks sticking to the point where the Jeep is hard to move says it is because of rust used dayly, timing out 15 degrees front and rear dif leaking with metal shavings inside mechanic says dana problem grinding right front axel noise.

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